What is a mezzo soprano called?
A mezzo-soprano or mezzo ( English: / ˈmɛtsoʊ /; Italian: [ˈmɛddzo soˈpraːno]; meaning “half soprano”) is a type of classical female singing voice whose vocal range lies between the soprano and the contralto voice types. The mezzo-soprano’s vocal range usually extends from the A below middle C to the A two octaves above (i.e.
What is the range of a mezzo-soprano?
In the lower and upper extremes, some mezzo-sopranos may extend down to the F below middle C (F 3, 175 Hz) and as high as “high C” (C 6, 1047 Hz). The mezzo-soprano voice type is generally divided into the coloratura, lyric, and dramatic mezzo-soprano.
What are some examples of mezzo-sopranos singing secondary roles?
While mezzo-sopranos typically sing secondary roles in operas, notable exceptions include the title role in Bizet ‘s Carmen, Angelina ( Cinderella) in Rossini ‘s La Cenerentola, and Rosina in Rossini’s Barber of Seville (all of which are also sung by sopranos and contraltos).
What is a coloratura mezzo-soprano?
A coloratura mezzo-soprano has a warm lower register and an agile high register. The roles they sing often demand not only the use of the lower register but also leaps into the upper tessitura with highly ornamented, rapid passages.
What is the difference between a contralto and a mezzo?
Mezzo-sopranos generally have a heavier, darker tone than sopranos. The mezzo-soprano voice resonates in a higher range than that of a contralto. The terms Dugazon and Galli-Marié are sometimes used to refer to light mezzo-sopranos, after the names of famous singers.
The typical range for a mezzo is between A3 (the A below middle C) and A5 (two octaves higher). But Wallis’ voice stretches a little further… “My range is typically C3 (the C below middle C) to C6 – a three-octave range.
What is a dramatic mezzo?
Dramatic mezzos, on the other hand, are well suited to opera’s femme fatale figures; most famously, Bizet ’s Carmen. “When I do Carmen,” Wallis explains, “I sing her with the same voice I have, but she’s got a more feminine, earthy, deeper sound than my Cherubino would.”